Method and system for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a personalized portable device

ABSTRACT

A user&#39;s request via a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) to process data may result in discovery of one or more networked resources capable of handling the processing. One or more communication routes may be established between one or more discovered network resources and one or more of the HWCD and a networked terminating device. The portable HWCD may be configured as a gateway. The user&#39;s identity may be determined and the user&#39;s personal networking preferences may be acquired. Based user&#39;s preferences, a route may be established between discovered networked resources and one or more of the HWCD and the networked terminating device. The user&#39;s identity may be authenticated. Data may undergo rate and/or format conversion. The data may be protected by secure operations. One or more of the HWCD and the networked terminating device may consume or render the requested data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. utility application entitled, “Method and System for Managing Information Among Personalized and Shared Resources with a Personalized Portable Device,” having Ser. No. 13/709,314, filed Dec. 10, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. utility application entitled, “Method and System for Managing Information Among Personalized and Shared Resources with a Personalized Portable Device,” having Ser. No. 11/864,184, filed Sep. 28, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application entitled “Method and System for Managing Information Among Personalized And Shared Resources With A Personalized Portable Device,” having Ser. No. 60/950,931, filed on Jul. 20, 2007. The entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to information communication. More specifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a portable personalized device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of wireless communication has seen dramatic growth the last few years. In today's world, most people use their portable devices, be it cellular phones, PDA's, laptops, media players and/or other devices, for various purposes, business and personal, on a constant and daily basis. Increasingly, people are able to access information according to their individual choice. For instance people may select music or videos from an electronic media store of their choice and play them on portable devices. In addition, the Internet allows people to access news and information at a time convenient for them rather than at specified broadcast times. In addition, many wireless solutions have been introduced, and have made tremendous strides into everyday life.

For example, the use of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) has been gaining popularity in a great number of applications because of the flexibility and convenience in connectivity they provide. WPAN systems generally replace cumbersome cabling and/or wiring used to connect peripheral devices and/or mobile terminals by providing short distance wireless links that allow connectivity within very narrow spatial limits (typically, a 10-meter range). WPAN may be based on standardized technologies, for example Class 3 Bluetooth (BT) technology. While WPAN may be very beneficial for certain applications, other applications may require larger service areas and/or capabilities.

To satisfy such needs, other technologies have been developed to provide greater wireless service. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) systems may operate within a 100-meter range, for example. In contrast to the WPAN systems, WLANs provide connectivity to devices that are located within a slightly larger geographical area, such as the area covered by a building or a campus, for example. WLAN systems are generally based on specific standards, for example IEEE 803.11 standard specifications, and typically operate within a 100-meter range, and are generally utilized to supplement the communication capacity provided by traditional wired Local Area Networks (LANs) installed in the same geographic area as the WLAN system.

Other wireless solutions have evolved from traditional land-based communication technologies. For instance, cellular phones have become just about an absolute necessity in today's world. While cellular technology was merely intended to add an element of mobility to the traditional telephony service, this technology has grown beyond that initial purpose. Many modern cellular technologies, including such technologies as GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and CDMA3000 may incorporate substantial data capabilities. Most of today's cellular services may include such features as text messaging, video streaming, web browsing . . . etc.

Some mobile devices have the capability to utilize one or more wireless technologies. For instance, WLAN systems may be operated in conjunction with WPAN systems to provide users with an enhanced overall functionality. For example, Bluetooth technology may be utilized to connect a laptop computer or a handheld wireless terminal to a peripheral device, such as a keyboard, mouse, headphone, and/or printer, while the laptop computer or the handheld wireless terminal may also be connected to a campus-wide WLAN network through an access point (AP) located within the building. Also, cellular technology may allow use of the mobile phone as a form of wireless modem that allows connecting a laptop, for example, to the internet via a cellular network.

In short, wireless networks may exist to support handheld wireless communication devices (HWCDs). However, while HWCDs have continued to grow in complexity and capability, these HWCDs still continue to suffer from some major limitations, especially physical limitations and power.

Just as with other electronic devices, the HWCDs have seen substantial growth in performance capability and speed. As such, they are finding applications in areas not predicted when first introduced to give users mobile telephony. They may comprise mini computers, multimedia players, GPS devices and many other applications, for example. As a result of the growth in performance, more and more applications are being added to wireless devices, thereby increasing complexity.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a personalized portable device, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Various advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary WLAN infrastructure network comprising basic service sets (BSSs) integrated using a common distribution system (DS), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary WLAN infrastructure network comprising a basic service set (BSS) with stations that support WLAN/Bluetooth coexistence, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram that illustrates another embodiment of an exemplary usage model for coexistence of a terminal within a plurality of local and remote resources, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating a network connection configured by a handheld wireless communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary steps for configuring a personal virtual network and communicating information according to user preferences, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain aspects of the invention may be found in a method and system for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a personalized portable device. Various embodiments of the invention may utilize a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) for configuring one or more connections to use local and/or remote resources for communicating and processing information. A user may make requests for processing of information via an HWCD. In this regard, the HWCD may discover available networks and resources and establish a route between one or more of the HWCD, a networked terminating device and resources selected according to a user's preferences. Once the route has been established, information may be communicated between the HWCD and the selected one or more of the available resources. The information may be processed to enable compatibility between various data formats and processing capabilities of target resources. The information may be made secure prior to transmission by the HWCD. The HWCD and/or a corresponding user may be authenticated. The handheld wireless communication device may communicate utilizing a plurality of wireless protocols.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of exemplary network infrastructure that may be utilized for managing information among personalized and shared resources, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, the exemplary network infrastructure 100 shown may comprise a local network 102 a, a home network 102 b, a shared network 106, a general purpose or special purpose processing device 110 a, an HDTV monitor 110 e, a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 110 c, access points (AP) 112 a, a server 114, a portal 108, base stations 116, a digital video recorder 110 g, a storage device 110 f and a distribution system 104.

The local network 102 a may comprise a plurality of electronic resources and network links available for access by a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 110 c. The HWCD 110 c may comprise suitable hardware, logic, circuitry and/or code that may enable performing wireless mobile communication. For example, HWCD 102 may be utilized to perform voice and data communication. The HWCD 110 c may also comprise suitable hardware, logic, circuitry and/or code that may enable performing additional functionality comprising Internet browsing and video or audio streaming. In addition, the HWCD 110 c may enable communication within a plurality of wireless network technologies. For example the HWCD 110 c may support links to entities within a personal area network (PAN) such as one or more devices enabled to render content or perform processing operations located within a short range from the HWCD 110 c. The general purpose or special purpose processing device 110 a may comprise suitable logic, circuitry or code to communicate with the HWCD 110 c directly or via an access point (AP) 112 a and process or render information.

A HDTV monitor 110 e or other suitable devices may be enabled to terminate a connection and render content. In another example, the HWCD 110 c may support links to a wireless local area network (WLAN) via an AP such as AP 112 a which may provide links to the devices 110 a and/or 110 e, for example. The HWCD 110 c may also be enabled to communicate greater distances via a cellular network or satellite network. The base station 116 may communicate with the HWCD 110 c via one or more of a plurality of wireless technologies. The invention is not limited to the specific resources and network links shown in FIG. 1A and may comprise any suitable electronic resource and/or wireless communication technology.

The remote network 102 b may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or code that may be enabled to communicate with the HWCD 110 c. The invention may not be limited to the specific remote devices shown, but may comprise one or more devices that may be enabled to perform various jobs and/or tasks that may be requested by the HWCD 110 c. For example, a general or special purpose processing device 110 a, a storage unit 110 f and a digital video recorder 110 g may be linked to an AP 112 a. For example, the remote network 102 b may comprise a home PC that may be enabled to perform fast processing operations due to fast processing subsystems and increased memory space. Such a home PC may be better suited to perform processing and/or storage intensive tasks than devices within the local network 102 a or the HWCD 110 c. For example, devices within the remote network 102 b may be utilized to perform processing of data and/or retrieval of data stored within device 110 f for example.

The shared network 106 may comprise a wide area network (WAN) extending beyond geographic boundaries or a metropolitan area network (MAN) for example. The shared network 106 may comprise public access networks such as the internet and/or private or subscribed networks. The shared network 106 may comprise processing and storage facilities and may provide services for users. For example, the server 114 may support an electronic media store. In another example, the AP 112 a may link users to information processed by general or special processors 110 a.

The HWCD 110 c may for example be a mobile phone which may access the remote network 102 b and/or the shared network 106 via a base station 116. In addition the HWCD 110 c may be located within range of a WLAN or PAN and access the remote 102 b or shared 106 networks via shorter range links.

The distribution system 104 may comprise a plurality of interconnecting networks and suitable hardware, logic, circuitry and/or code that may be enabled to facilitate end-to-end communication between the HWCD 110 c, the local network 102 a, the remote network 102 b and the shared network 106. The shared network 106 may comprise wireless and/or wired networks that may be enabled to communicate and forward messaging and/or data between the HWCD 110 c and one or more of the remote network 102 b and the shared network 106. The distribution system 104 may be utilized to provide a transport and/or switching fabric that may facilitate communication between the HWCD 110 c and one or more of the remote network 102 b and the shared network 106.

In operation, a user may be located within range of a local network 102 a device for example. The user may request via an HWCD 110 c, a transfer of data from one or more devices located in a remote network 102 b and/or a shared network 106. The user and/or the HWCD 110 c may be authenticated. The data may be processed for security, format compatibility and/or rate compatibility by a remote device, for example processor 110 a. The data may be transferred via the distribution system 104 to a locally networked monitor 110 e for example, and rendered there under control of the HWCD 110 c.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary WLAN infrastructure network comprising at least one basic service set (BSS) with stations that support WLAN/Bluetooth coexistence, in connection with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1B, the exemplary WLAN infrastructure network 120 may comprise a BSS 102 a that may comprise a laptop computer 110 a and a personal computer 110 b for example. In addition, a second BSS 102 b may comprise mobile terminals or stations (STA) such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) 110 c and a mobile phone 110 d as well as a personal computer 110 b and a laptop computer 110 a that is shown to be Bluetooth-enabled. The peripheral devices shown in block 114 may be part of the Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) supported by the Bluetooth-enabled laptop computer 110 a. For example, the laptop computer 110 a may communicate via Bluetooth technology with a video display, a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, a mobile phone, a PDA, and/or a set of headphones or speakers, where these devices and the laptop computer 110 a may form an ad-hoc Bluetooth piconet. Generally, a Bluetooth piconet may comprise a master device or terminal and up to seven slave devices or terminals. In this exemplary implementation, the laptop computer 110 a may correspond to the master Bluetooth terminal and the peripheral devices 114 may correspond to the slave Bluetooth terminals.

The Bluetooth-enabled laptop computer 110 a in FIG. 1B may comprise a WLAN radio device and a Bluetooth radio device that allows it to communicate with the WLAN infrastructure network 120 via the AP 112 b and with the Bluetooth piconet respectively.

A HWCD user may wish to utilize home-based resources while within an area with multiple wireless networks and protocols, or may wish to access devices utilizing other wireless protocols within the same area. The establishment of such a connection utilizing a single HWCD may require a dynamic routing capability, multi-protocol capability and built-in knowledge of user preferences and access privileges.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating a personalized handheld communication device enabled to configure a personal virtual network comprising personalized and shared resources to communicate and manage information, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2A, there is shown a plurality of wired and wireless networks 200 a, a local domain 201 a and a personal domain 203 a. In addition, a connecting network 216 is shown.

The local domain 201 a may comprise a personalized handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 202, one or more wireless links 214, a hospital, pharmacy and or ambulance location 210 a, a car or airplane 212 a, a hotel 216 a, a user's friends home 218 a, a shopping center 220 a and a school 222 a. These resources may become available to a user on an ad hoc basis as the user travels from one location to another and may serve as an extension of a user's personal network.

The personal domain 203 a may comprise government agencies 240 a, subscribed film/video/music service 242 a, a library, museum or electronic search engine 244 a, an enterprise network 246 a, a home computing, multimedia and communications network 248 a, a doctor's office 250 a and a financial institution 252 a. These resources may comprise computing platforms, storage facilities, and networks as well as personal accounts and subscribed services that may provide information or perform information processing for a user who may be nearby or located remotely.

The connecting network 216 may comprise one or more of a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, and an intranet for example.

The network 200 a may be enabled to be configured as a personal virtual network for managing information among personalized and shared resources. The network 200 a may comprise personalized resources and local resources. Resources within the personal domain 203 a may share information with resources in the local domain 203 a via the internet 216 and/or other public and private networks.

The personal domain 203 a may comprise resources that may be configured along with resources in the local domain 201 a to form a personal virtual network. Resources in the personal domain 203 a may comprise for example personally managed electronic equipment, processes and/or information. In addition, personal domain resources may comprise a subscribed service or an account identified with a user for example. Moreover a personal domain resource may be a publicly available resource that a user has identified as a preferred source of information or processing. Thus, resources shared by a plurality of users, may be personalized for a particular user by identifying the resource as a preferred source within a personal virtual network.

The personal domain 203 a may comprise government agencies comprising personal or public records 240 a, subscribed electronic services such as film, video and or music 242 a, archival services such as libraries, museums or electronic search engines 244 a, personal work accounts such as on an enterprise network 246 a, a home computing, multimedia and communications network 248 a, a doctor's office with personal medical history 250 a and a financial institution with personal financial records 252 a. Resources within the personal domain may be communicatively coupled with resources in the local domain. Any other resources with suitable information and facilities may be utilized in the personal domain.

Resources in the local domain 201 a may vary in time depending on location of the personal handheld or portable wireless communication device (HWCD) 202. Local resources may be for example electronic equipment, processes and/or information that engage temporarily within a personal virtual network and that may be configured or coordinated utilizing the HWCD 202. For example, a user located remotely from a personally owned video monitor, may utilize the HWCD 202 to configure a network connection between a personal domain resource comprising desired video content and a locally available resource comprising a networked video monitor. For example, the user may be located at a friend's home 218 a and wish to retrieve and render video content from their home network 248 a. The user may utilize their personal HWCD 202 to configure an ad hoc personal network via the internet 216 and transfer video streams to the local network.

In addition, a resource within a user's personal domain 203 a may be utilized as a local resource. For example, a user may control the transfer of information from a video downloading service 242 a to a personal computer within their home network 248 a utilizing their HWCD 202. The HWCD 202 may be utilized to configure an ad hoc network from one device to another and control transfer of data. Moreover, the HWCD 202 could be utilized to transfer data from one device to another within the user's home 248 a.

The local domain 201 a may comprise a personalized handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 202. For example, the HWCD 202 may be a portable wireless phone, a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless content rendering device, a portable computer with radio capability or another portable device. The HWCD 202 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic and/or code to configure a personal virtual network for routing and processing information between resources in the personal domain 203 a and local domain 201 a. The HWCD 202 may enable processing and/or displaying information by performing tasks itself or assigning tasks to local or personal domain resources. In addition, the HWCD 202 may be enabled to function as a thin client handling user input and screen display while associated processing may be performed by resources in the personal domain 203 a or local domain 201 a.

The personal HWCD 202 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or code to enable secure communication among personal and local resources utilizing a plurality of security mechanisms. The personal HWCD 202 may manage encryption and decryption processes among resources that may utilize encryption keys, message authentication code and/or digital signatures for example. The personal HWCD 202 and/or the user of an HWCD 202 may be subject to authentication processes when accessing personal resources. In addition, the personal HWCD 202 may be enabled to gain temporary or long term access privileges for use of resources in the public domain. In this regard, the HWCD 202 may be enabled to perform security tasks itself or may assign one or more of the tasks to available resources within either the personal or local domain.

The HWCD 202 may comprise suitable logic circuitry and or code to enable information format compatibility between personal and local resources by utilizing transcoding or format conversion for example. For example, for incompatible rates, the HWCD 202 may perform trans-rating to lower or raise a bit rate, or it may modify the format of a stream or file. In this regard, the HWCD 202 may perform compatibility tasks itself. Alternatively, the HWCD 202 may assign the tasks to available resources within the personal or local domains that may have ample computing and storage capacity to decode, decompress, encode or otherwise modify information.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a user may wish to retrieve an image file stored in a memory on a home computer within the user's personal domain 203 a, and display the image on a HWCD 202 at a remote location. In this regard, the home computer may store the image file as a high resolution JPEG image at 3000×2000 pixels with 10 bits of color per component, for example, which may not be compatible with display capabilities in the HWCD 202. The HWCD 202 may configure a personal virtual network from the remote location and assign the home computer within the user's personal domain 203 a, a task of performing transcoding on the image file prior to sending it to the HWCD 202. The home computer within the user's personal domain 203 a may transcode the content to a lower resolution image with less color, for example 640×480 pixels and 18 bits of color, that may be compatible with the HWCD 202's capabilities and may send it via the personal virtual network to the HWCD 202 for display.

The HWCD 202 may support a plurality of protocols, information formats and computer languages. In addition, the HWCD 202 may support a computer language that is supported by all resources within the personal and local domains.

In another embodiment of the invention, the HWCD 202 may assign a processing task to one or more of the resources within the local domain resources 201 a. For example, a task of converting video and/or audio into a format that is compatible with one or more rendering devices within the local domain resources 201 a, may be assigned to a local resource within the local domain resources 201 a. In this regard, interlaced video with 1920×1080 resolution and 60 fields/second may be received by the local resource at 18 Mbps and may be converted to progressive video with 480×272 resolution and 30 frames per second. The converted video may be communicated from the local resource to the local rendering device at 500 kbps for example.

The HWCD 202 may receive commands and input information via digital keying operation, from voice input via a microphone and/or any other suitable interface capable of receiving information from a user. The HWCD 202 may have a biometric scanner or other device that ma be enabled to identify a particular user by fingerprint, heart beat and/or retina, for example. The HWCD 202 may output information and alerts to a user via a plurality of technologies. For example, text and/or image may be displayed, audible messages may utilize text to speech (TTS) technology or tones transmitted via a speaker or any other suitable indicator of information may be utilized.

Functionality pertaining to setting up personal preferences, configuring a personal network and accessing, modifying and/or transferring personalized information via an HWCD 202, may be need to be protected by security operations and coordinated between the HWCD 202 and resources within the personal domain 203 a. For example, password protection or biometric scanning may be utilized to validate a user and grant access to secure functionality within the HWCD 202. In addition, the HWCD 202 and/or the user may need to be authenticated by personal domain resources 203 a prior to releasing personal information.

The one or more wireless links 214, may comprise WLAN, Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, or any other suitable wireless technology. The wireless links 214 may be communicatively coupled with the internet via public or private wire line and/or other wireless networks.

A plurality of local domain entities may comprise resources for communicating, processing and rendering information. For example, block 210 a may comprise a location for medical services such as a hospital, pharmacy and or ambulance, block 212 a may comprise a mobile location such as a car or airplane, block 216 a may comprise a location for leisure and/or recreation such as a hotel, block 218 a may comprise a home of friends or family, block 220 a may comprise a location for financial transactions such as a shopping center, block 222 a may comprise a place for personal study such as a school 222 a. Other locations visited by the user and/or HWCD 202 comprising suitable resources may be utilized.

In operation, a valid user may define a personal domain 203 a by indicating personal preferences and personalized resources for a personal portable HWCD 202. The user may utilize the HWCD 202 in a plurality of locations within local domain 201 a that may offer networking, processing and rendering resources for example. The user may gain access to secure functionality via password or biometric security operations. The user may configure a personal virtual network comprising personal domain resources as well as local resources utilizing the personal portable HWCD 202. The user may be validated and allowed to access, process and render information within their personal virtual network.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating a network connection configured by a mobile wireless communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2B, there is shown a network infrastructure 200 b comprising a local network 201 b and a personal home network 203 b. The local network 201 b may communicate with the personal home network 203 b via the Internet 216 for example. The local network 201 b may comprise a personalized handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 202, an audio system 204 b, an HDTV monitor 206 b, a printer/scanner/fax 208 b and a wireless base station or access point 210 b

The home network 203 b may comprise a wired host PC 218 b, a PC host 222 b, a storage device 224 b, a wireless base station or access point 220 b and a digital video recorder (DVR) 226 b. The devices coupled to the local network 201 b and the personal home network 203 b may be communicatively coupled to their respective base station or access point 210 b and 220 b via a wireless connection utilizing one of a plurality of protocols, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or wireless LAN 802.11 for example. The number of devices is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, any suitable number of networked multimedia devices may be utilized.

The HWCD 202 may comprise a device capable of communicating wirelessly utilizing a plurality of methods and/or protocols and over a plurality of networks. The HWCD 202 may function as a cellular phone, personal data assistant, and/or a handheld computing device, for example. In addition, the HWCD 202 may function as a router, in that it may configure itself to use and connect to local and remote resources to perform multimedia and communication tasks by auto discovery of local devices and capabilities via standardized protocols.

In operation, devices local to the handheld device may announce their capabilities and availability in instances when the HWCD 202 comes in range of them and discovers the wired or wireless network that links them. In another embodiment of the invention, the HWCD 202 may poll for available networks and resources. In this manner, the hand held device may maintain a list of local resources that it may communicate with along with their capabilities.

The HWCD 202 may keep information about resources available on its home network 203 b and may update that information as well as information regarding bandwidth capabilities of its connection to the home network 203 b via locally available networks. In instances when the user of the handheld device 202 may wish to accomplish a certain multimedia or communications task, the HWCD 202 may be utilized to configure the local and remote resources in order to accomplish the multimedia or communications task.

In one embodiment of the invention, resources within the home network 203 b may comprise a powerful PC, such as the wired PC host 218 b, with large amounts of storage and computing resources, including transcoding capabilities and local digital video storage. In addition, the HWCD 202 may be connected to a wireless network that includes an HDTV monitor 206 b that may be available for use and may have high bandwidth connectivity via the Internet to the home network 203 b. The HWCD 202 may create an ad hoc virtual network of devices from the home network 203 b to the local network 201 b. For example, the HWCD 202 may be enabled to configure a route for data streaming from a home video storage device, such as the DVR 226 b, to the wired PC host 218 b wherein data may be transcoded to a different display format. The data may be communicated over the Internet 216 to the local network 201 b and to the local HDTV monitor 206 b for display. The HWCD 202 may also configure the ad hoc virtual network and the audio system 204 b to play audio that corresponds to the video playing on the HDTV monitor 206 b.

The ad hoc network and linking of resources described above may be made possible by the HWCD 202 creating and updating its list of local and remote resources whenever network locality changes. The discovery of local resources could be made by listening and logging announcement messages that detail resources and their capabilities or by querying new local networks for available resources. One or both of these functions may be accomplished with standardized protocols.

In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the HWCD 202 may be within range of a WLAN, such as the local network 201 b. The HWCD 202 user may wish to stream video to the HDTV monitor 206 b and audio for the video on the audio system 204 b, both from a data source, such as the storage 224 b, or the DVR 226 b, on the home network 203 b, for example. The HWCD 202 may determine whether the local network 201 b WLAN, may be in its list of accessible networks. The HWCD 202 may also have stored usernames, passwords and wireless protocols, for example, for the local network 201 b. In instances when the HWCD 202 may not have the local network 201 b in its stored database of networks and resources, the HWCD 202 may receive information that the local network 201 b may broadcast, such as the network system ID, which may comprise information about the wireless protocol, speed and access rights, for example.

The HWCD 202 may establish a route from the HWCD 202, through the BS or AP 210 b, through the Internet 216, to the BS or AP 220 b, to the storage 224 b and/or DVR 226 b, and back to the local network 201 b, the HDTV monitor 206 b and the audio system 204 b. The HWCD 202 may determine that the format of the video stored on the storage 224 b and/or the DVR 226 b may not be appropriate for the HDTV monitor 206 b. In this instance, the HWCD 202 may direct the data through the PC host 218 b, which may transcode the video file to a suitable format to be played on the HDTV monitor 206 b for example.

The HWCD 202 may have stored information on the available resources in the local network 201 b and the home network 203 b, or if not, may poll or discover the network for resources and their characteristics. In this manner, the stored network and resource data may be continuously updated. In addition to storing lists of networks and resources available, the HWCD 202 may also store preferences, such as the type of networks the user may have access to, and the preferred protocol to utilize if a plurality of protocols may be available, for example. In instances where the HWCD 202 may be utilizing a cellular network, such as the cellular tower 214, and the HWCD 202 moves into an area where a WLAN may be available, such as through the BS or AP 210 b, and the HWCD 202 stored preferences indicate the WLAN is preferred over the cellular network, the HWCD 202 may switch over to the WLAN.

The HWCD 202 may build the ad hoc network based on the user's request for a particular function and the availability of resources. For example, there may be multiple display devices available in a local network, such as the small screen on the HWCD 202 and a larger networked display, such as the HDTV monitor 206 b. The HWCD 202 may pick the best means of displaying the content based on the bandwidth of the various heterogeneous networks that may be traversed, the requirement and availability of transcoding resources, and the battery power available on the handheld device 202. In instances where there may be sufficient battery and CPU resources available in the HWCD 202, the HWCD 202 may choose to perform the transcoding functions locally. Or if transcoding may not be available, the HWCD 202 may display the content on a display appropriate for that content.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary steps for managing information within a personal virtual network comprising personal and shared resources utilizing a personal portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, in step 312 following start step 310, a user may request a particular function via a HWCD 202. In step 314, the HWCD 202 may search for an available network or networks and discover the availability of local resources and their capabilities associated with the requested function. In step 316, the HWCD 202 may access one or more resources in its personal domain of resources 203 a shown in FIG. 2A. In step 318, one or more resources within the personal domain 203 a may authenticate the HWCD 202 and/or the user of the HWCD 202.

In step 320, the HWCD 202 may request operations on a personal domain device. For example, the HWCD 202 may request transferring of a digital media file from a user's video distribution service subscription 242 a in FIG. 2A. In step 322, the HWCD 202 may compare formatting of the information from a source with a target resource's format handling capabilities. In step 324 the HWCD 202 may determine whether information format conversions are needed. In step 326, the HWCD 202 may assign tasks to itself, or external resources which may comprise available resources in the personal domain and/or resources in the local domain. In step 328, the HWCD 202 may determine routing for the requested information and processes. In step 330, the information may be processed and communicated to a target device and processed according to the original request. Step 332 is an end step. In step 324, if the HWCD 202 determines that information may need to be adapted to conform to a target resource's format processing capabilities, the flow may proceed to step 334. In step 334, the HWCD may determine which resources may perform conversion processes for example transcoding, trans-rating and security operations adaptation. The process may proceed to step 326.

In an embodiment of the invention, a portable wireless communication device 202 may be enabled for discovering available networks and resources. The resources may be local 201 a or remote 203 a as shown in FIG. 2A. The portable wireless communication device 202 may utilize user preferences to select one or more of the available resources and establish a route to them and/or among them. The user preferences may be dynamically adjusted. The portable wireless communication device 202 may exchange information with one or more of the selected available resources and/or direct communication of information between one or more of the selected available resources via the established route.

The portable wireless communication device 202 may process the information or assign one or more of the selected available resources to process the information. The portable wireless communication device 202 may undergo authentication processing for itself and/or for its user. It may enable securing the information prior to communication to a target resource. The portable wireless communication device 202 may enable format conversion of the information, to a format compatible with the target resource. A plurality of wireless communication protocols may be utilized.

In response to a request from a user made via a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) 202 to process data, the HWCD 202 may discover one or more networked resources in home network 203 b that are capable of handling the processing. In addition, one or more communication routes may be established between the one or more discovered network resources in home network 203 b capable of processing the data and one or more of the HWCD 202 and a networked terminating device in local network 201 b. In this regard, the portable HWCD 202 may be configured as a gateway.

The user's identity may be determined and the user's personal networking preferences may be acquired. Based on the user's preferences, a route may be established between one or more of the discovered networked resources within home network 203 b and one or more of the HWCD 202 and the networked terminating device within local network 201 b. In addition, the user's identity may be authenticated.

The requested data may be converted to a data rate or data format compatible with the HWCD 202 and/or the networked terminating device. Communication of the data between the HWCD 202, the one or more networked resources in home network 203 b and/or the networked terminating device in local network 201 b may be protected by secure operations. One or more of the HWCD 202 and the networked terminating device in local network 201 b may consume or render the requested data.

Certain embodiments of the invention may comprise a machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a personalized portable device, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform one or more of the steps described herein.

Accordingly, aspects of the invention may be realized in hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. The invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware, software and firmware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.

One embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a board level product, as a single chip, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or with varying levels integrated on a single chip with other portions of the system as separate components. The degree of integration of the system will primarily be determined by speed and cost considerations. Because of the sophisticated nature of modern processors, it is possible to utilize a commercially available processor, which may be implemented external to an ASIC implementation of the present system. Alternatively, if the processor is available as an ASIC core or logic block, then the commercially available processor may be implemented as part of an ASIC device with various functions implemented as firmware.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the present context may mean, for example, any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form. However, other meanings of computer program within the understanding of those skilled in the art are also contemplated by the present invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the present invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A communication device, comprising: circuitry configured to establish a connection with at least one terminal device, establish a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device, establish a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network, and control transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource.
 22. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device.
 23. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is configured as a gateway to establish communication links between plural terminal devices and plural resources located on plural networks.
 24. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the circuitry establishes the connection with the terminal device, the connection with the at least one network, the communication link between the terminal device and the at least one resource, and controls transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource in response to a user request.
 25. The communication device according to claim 24, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a user identity corresponding to the user request.
 26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine user preferences based on the user identity.
 27. The communication device according to claim 26, wherein the circuitry establishes the communication link between the terminal device and the at least one resource based on the user preferences.
 28. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the circuitry is further configured to authenticate the user identity.
 29. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the information transferred includes voice communications.
 30. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the information transferred includes data communications.
 31. The communication device according to claim 30, wherein the data communication includes at least one of audio and video streaming.
 32. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the circuitry is further configured to convert a format of the information to a format compatible with the terminal device.
 33. The communication device according to claim 32, wherein conversion of the format of the information includes converting a data rate of the information.
 34. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein the connection between the communication device and the at least one terminal device is a wireless connection.
 35. The communication device according to claim 34, wherein the connection between the communication device and the at least one network is a wireless connection.
 36. The communication device according to claim 34, wherein the wireless connection between the communication device and the at least one terminal device forms a personal area network.
 37. The communication device according to claim 36, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.
 38. The communication device according to claim 37, wherein the communication device is a master device and the at least one terminal device is a slave device in accordance with a Bluetooth connection protocol.
 39. A method of causing a communication device to function as a gateway, comprising: establishing, with circuitry of the communication device, a connection with at least one terminal device; establishing, with the circuitry, a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device; establishing, with the circuitry, a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network; and controlling, with the circuitry, transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource.
 40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a communication device, cause the processor of the communication device to perform a method comprising: establishing a connection with at least one terminal device; establishing a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device; establishing a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network; and controlling transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource. 